1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector and, more particularly, to an electrical connector having an electrical noise-reducing member. Such a connector is used, for example, in a vehicle, such as an automobile.
2. Description of Related Art
In a known electrical connector, to reduce high-frequency noise signals, such as xe2x80x9cspikesxe2x80x9d, transmitted in a terminal fitting of the connector, the terminal fitting is inserted into a cylinder of ferromagnetic material which absorbs the noise signals. Such a connector is disclosed in EP-A-969568. As shown in present FIG. 5, this known connector 1 has a housing 2 made of synthetic resin and a cylindrical body of magnetic material 3 integrated with the housing 2 at the rear portion thereof by insert molding. A plurality of L-shaped terminal fittings 4 are mounted in the housing 2, with the rear portion of each terminal fitting 4 inserted into a through-hole 3A of the magnetic material 3 and extending from the rear of the housing 2. The body of magnetic material acts to reduce electrical noise in the terminal fitting 4.
However, because the housing 2 and the magnetic material 3 are formed by insert molding, a complicated molding die is needed for the housing 2 and the magnetic material 3. Thus, the manufacturing cost of the connector 1 is high. Alternatively, the body of magnetic material may be installed on the housing after moulding, an elastically deformable lance for locking the body to the housing being formed integrally with the housing by one-piece molding. However, a complicated molding die for the connector and the lance is also needed and thus the manufacturing cost of the connector is high.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector having noise-reducing magnetic material which can be relatively simply installed on a terminal fitting.
The present invention provides an electrical connector comprising:
a housing;
an electrical terminal mounted in said housing;
a electrical noise-reducing member of magnetic material carried on the terminal and having a through-hole through which said terminal extends to reduce electrical noise in said terminal; and
a stop member secured on said terminal and abutting an end of said noise-reducing member at which said terminal emerges from said through-hole, whereby the stop member impedes movement of the noise-reducing member along said terminal.
This form of connector avoids a need for forming the member of magnetic material integrally with the housing by insert molding or forming an elastically deformable lance integrally with the housing to lock the member to the housing. That is, the connector of the invention allows the member of magnetic material to be easily installed at the desired position.
The member of magnetic material may be cylindrical with the through-hole being parallel to the axis of the cylinder. Alternatively, the member of magnetic material may have a plurality of through-holes, so that it can be mounted on a plurality of adjacent terminals, with the stop member on at least one of the terminals.
Preferably, the stop member is at least partly made of an elastically deformable material and elastically grips the terminal. Therefore, the stop member can also be easily installed on the terminal. More preferably the stop member is of rubber.
The stop member may also have a through-hole, the diameter of the through-hole being smaller than the width of the terminal. The stop member is then installed by inserting the terminal into the through-hole of the stop member to deform the stop member elastically.
The noise-reducing member may be made of any suitable magnetic material, e.g. ferrite, known to the person skilled in the art.